If Spring/Summer 2007 was the season of the tunic dress, then Autumn Winter 2007/8 will be the season of the fashion coat.
The proper
mantle is back in town. This is a coat that does what a
coat was originally intended to do. It acts as a proper
cover up of clothing volume beneath. It can accommodate full
skirted suits or dresses.
Within this coat fashion there are two key styles :-
Loose coats
Fitted coats
Loose
fashion styles include barrel cocoon silhouettes or A-line swing coats. These
more voluminous fashion coats are contrasted against leaner
sharply tailored skinny coats.
This
Autumn 2007, plain, but colourful Melton wools and luxury cashmeres, or wool
and angora mixes will sit beside fabrics that have texture on
texture.
Quilted and padded fabrics or brocade will shimmer to give
richness and opulent effects to winter coats.
Notice the surface texture quality
of this coat on the left with matt texture set against shiny.
The coat is from the new A/W 2007 range called Nouveau and by
high street retailer
Principles. The shape of this Nouveau coat is a classic Autumn
Winter 2007/8 coat style in the making.
Outerwear coat hemlines offer interest and draw attention to good legs or
contrast colourful tights/pantyhose.
This high fashion Erica coat by Monsoon
(in store from October 2007 at £150) and
shown right, captures a bubble skirt into a band. It also has the
fashionable ruffle sleeves
so popular through summer. The lavish fur trimmed collar makes
this a winter
statement coat. The coat fabric has texture on texture a material
type so dominant
at the designer catwalk shows.
Leather will be a material of contrasts and varied textures.
Some leathers will have smoothness, shine, glimmer others have
skin reptilian effects such as python, croc and lizard.
Fashion coats shown on this page are typical of the
easy A-line swing styles many shops will stock through Autumn
Winter 2007/8. The
easy trapeze line has gained ground and this year has been
a staple silhouette for youthful coats, jackets, tunic, tops and dresses.
These coat styles have a lot of 60s influence and often have
wide set collars, funnel necklines, flat faced
bands or are collarless.
This short check jacket shape from Matalan and shown
left has swing and has been a hugely popular silhouette through 2007. The
jacket style is set to continue through winter.
The basic shape similar to this short grey jacket from
the John Lewis autumn 2007/8 range, has been used for a wide
range of cropped trench Macs and tailored jackets. The
grey jacket is available in store October 2007 at £85.
The
Matalan royal blue coat (see right) is in one of the strong bold vibrant
jewel colours of Autumn Winter 2007/8. Note the short funnel
stand neck which is a recurring element in this year's winter coats and
jackets. The funnel collar sometimes folds
back to a flat collar.
Many new Autumn Winter 2007/8 fashion trends have absorbed
volume as a matter of course. Note how refined volume has
become. It is now relaxed and easy to wear, rather than
difficult, because before it was so unusual.
If you have a full skirted dress or dirndl style skirt you won't
find it difficult to buy a cover up coat this Autumn Winter
2007/8 season. Look out for coats cut with a more generous
fuller skirt or swing that sits atop indoor clothes more easily.
Note the similarities between the silhouette shapes in this beige
Della coat right and other styles on this page. The Della
coat will be £140 and is in store at Monsoon in October.
This pared down volume with a streamlined shapely body and
full skirt or A-line skirt is much easier to wear than the usual
suggestion of tying up already bulky volume coats with a belt.
That only really works well on super skinny women. Most
women benefit from a bit of seam or dart contouring that hints
at a narrower waist area.
You will find fashionable coats in a wide range of materials
from traditional Melton and polished Venetian wools to tweedy
tartan plaids.
This plaid Dempsey coat left is from Monsoon and is available in
store in September at £120. It has the latest double
breasted styling and streamlined silhouette with an A-line
skirt. Both of these fashion coats have half stand funnel
collars, which frame the face delightfully, without jabbing into
the chin as some higher funnel neck might.
Images courtesy of IFTF and
Monsoon autumn 2007 womenswear collection.
This
autumn expect to buy at least one coat and consider developing a
wardrobe of coats for a variety of occasions. The coat choice
will be huge from full and swinging styles to nipped in and
waist cinched.
The styles could be cocoon shape, have military
influence, trench belted practicality, be proudly punk studded
and zippered, have vivid fur colouration, be heavy knits, or
luxury satin parka styles.
The ivory cashmere cocoon coat with black Swakara collar left
and by Valvo is an easy to wear shape and this is shape we will
see time and again this winter.
Military fashions
have emerged season after season and here
comes battle dress yet again. Now for Autumn Winter 2007/8 it's looking sharper
and shapelier making it a key trend once more.
The hallmark of the latest army or naval fashion
trend is
that of double breasted styling. Plain buttons make for
great urban looks but for something extra, many fastenings have been
replaced by bold large gold buttons as well as braided
trims of gold or self coloured frogging.
Easy pea coats
fit well with modern life of the urban country commuter and offer just the right
amount of cover with trousers or jeans. They are battle
dress options for real life.
Some of the key
trends for Autumn Winter 2007/8 incline toward a cinched
waist and a stronger shoulder line. When combined with
groomed glamour this easily creates a fashionable look that is
both modern and chic.
Images courtesy of IFTF.
Many leather garments have military touches and armorial looks are worked in leather and other shiny materials. Patent, leather and metallic finishes are sure to be found in every type of
fashion garment and fashion accessory.
Notice how sheen, sparkle and gleam of metallics associated with
futuristic looks have spread into leather wear for Autumn Winter
2007/8.
Leather
coats will cover the colour spectrum with olive green, gold, copper tan,
grey and black
colourations the most prominent. Look for full length around the knee
coats as well as biker coats like these above.
Images courtesy of IFTF.
Padded, quilted, Puffa coats jackets and extended anoraks
zippered or double breasted are practical options for those who
want to wear sporty coats. Autumn colour options include
lots of shades of white, silver and green.
Look for massive padded collars
that double as quilted neck mufflers and note the available
countless options from maxi coats to cropped jackets.
The latest fashion trends for autumn will soon have you
shopping till you drop. This is the season where studied
fashion elegance makes a real come back whichever coat you
finally decide on buying. My bet is you will soon have a
new wardrobe of coats for different moods. There are plenty of
styles to choose from on this fashion-era page of new fashion
trends in coats for Autumn 2007, Winter
2008.
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